Magnetron circuit controlling apparatus



May 26, 1931. T. BODDE MAGNETRON CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 13, 1924 'ITORNEYS INVENTOR Theodore Bookie Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED sA'rEsP 'rs'roFFIcE THEODORE BODDE, 0F NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE REGAN SAFETY DEVICES OOMIPANY, INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MAGNETRGN CIRCUIT CONTROLLING APPARATUS Application filed August 13, 1924. Serial No. 731,694.

This invention relates to an electron discharge circuit controlling apparatus, and more particularly to a magnetron controlled circuit controlling apparatus designed for producing persisting circuit changes in response to momentary electrical influences; and has special reference to the provision of improvements in the magnetron circuit controlling apparatus described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 650,803, filed July 11, 1924.

As disclosed in my said copending application, the magnetron circuit controlling apparatus of my invention consists in a'magnetically controlled electron discharge device for controlling and producing persisting changes in circults in response to magnetic influences of short duration, the same belng serviceable, for example, in train control systerns of the non-contact type as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 566,565, for train control systems, filed June 7, 1922. In train control systems of this type, vehicle carried apparatus cooperates magnetically with roadside apparatus for producing train control indications in response to and in accordance with roadside or track conditions; and a desideratum in the operation of a system of this type centers about the production of vehicle carried apparatus which is instantaneous in its operation and which may he made immediately responsive to the roadside apparatus, especially when the vehicle carried apparatus passes or moves over the roadside apparatus at very high speeds. The present invention is especially adapted for service in such train control systems, the desired sensitiveness and rapidity of operation being attained by the substantially inertialess characteristics both mechanically and electrically of the magnetron apparatus.

In providing a substantially inertialess train control system effective so that an indication may be picked up and retained by a fast moving train passing a control point or station, essential desiderata are that (a) the instrument which receives the impulse from the roadside be substantially inertialess,-so that at the very high speeds it will respond to a governing impulse from the roadside no matter how short the impulse or how great the speed of the train, and that (b) a translating means or relay Which is connected to the receiving instrument should he so associated with the receiving instrument as to have little or no retarding or reactive effects thereon, to the end that the characteristics of the receiving instrument alone be dominant in determining the rapidity of response of operation of the system as a whole. The provision of an improved receiving instrument and an improved organization of such receiving instrument with the translating means to produce the desiredresults is a prime object of my present invention.

More specific objects of my present in- 1 vention include the provision of a magnetron circuit controlling apparatus which operates in response to magnetic impulses of short duration to produce persisting circuit changes and in which means are provided for supplementing the action of the magnetron When a circuit changing governing impulse is received to assist in making the circuit change effectual, and to prevent a lapsing or return of the magnetron'to its former or unchanged state due to inertia of circuits controlled by and reacting upon the magnetron; the further provision of a combined magnetron and relay, or translating means designed so that the inductance of the magnetron controlled circuit is reduced to a minimum, this to reduce the reacting inertia effective on the magnetron; the still further provision of circuit controlling apparatus in which a magnetron and a relay are combined so that all of the circuits connecting the magnetron and the relay are normally safe, a breaking of any of the circuits producing a tell-tale operation ofthe relay.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consists in the elements and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter particularly described and sought to be defined in the accompanying claims; reference being had to the accompanying drawings, WlllCllSllOW the preferred and Fig; 4 1s a view of the electron dischargeembodiments of my invention, and in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the combined magnetron and relay system of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view ofa modification thereof,

Fig. 3 isa graphical representation depicting characteristics. of the apparatus and of the underlying principles of the invention,

device or magnetronshowing therstrllotural arrangement of the parts.

Referring now more in detail tothe drawings, and having particular reference to Fig. 1, the circuit controlling apparatus of my invention comprises the improved electr'on'discharge deviceior magnetron M which isconstructed so as to respond to momentary magneticinfluences produced for example by the movement of the magnetron M in the direction indicated .bythe arrow in Fig. 1 over relatively stationary magnetic means .m,

which latter in train control systems is located and arranged at fixed controlling .points .or stations along the roadbed, the.

magnetron M being carried by a moving vehicle,;the said magnetronbeing connected for controlling the operation of a translating means or relay Rwhich-in turn controls the operationof'train control circuits.

The electron discharge device or magne- .ltIOllM comprises a vacuous vessel or envelope 10 provided with a linear filament or cathode '11- and with a cylindrical anode 12 encircling the cathode and arranged in circular symmetry therewith; and in the form of the invvention'illustrated in Fig. 1, the device is provided with means for c'reatingcontrolling anagnetic :fields, the said means comprising the solenoids 13 and 14: arranged as .will be detailed hereinafter 'in independent circuits, the said solenoids being provided for selectively controlling the activityof the electron dischargedevice. In the diagrammatic illustration of Fig. 1, these solenoids for purposes of clarity ha verbeen shown arranged at the sides of th'evessel 10, but it will be'understood that .the actual construction comprises a symmetrical arrangement of these solenoids encirelectrons from the filament 11, which electrons will impinge upon the anode 12.

' The electron flow between the anode and cathode controls a circuit generally designated as c, the said circuit including the positiveterminal 18 of a source of energy, an operated element such as thecoil 19 of the relay R, the conductor 20, the controlling solenoid 14, a conductor 21 connected to the anode, the cathode'll, and-conductor 16 connectedtothe negative terminal 22-of the said source of energy.

The relay R in the present form of my invention is especially designed to cooperate with the governing circuits of the magnetron M so as to minimize inductive reactive effects of the former/on the latter andso as to permit the obtaining of connecting circuits which are normally safe, this relay comprising a plurality-of coils 19 and 23, the former consisting of an armature coilmount- ,ed on the armature 24 pivotedas at 25, the

said armature being weighted as at 26 and provided with the contact-27,.thesaid-armature being over-balancedfon the sideof the contact, so that upon failure of current in the armature coil 19 or any part of the circuit 0, the armature willdrop toopen the contact 27 Both the armature and field coils 19 and 23 are circular, the latter being mounted on a coremember having a central core 28 and a circular core-29 defining anannular air space in which the armature coil 19 is movable,.the cooperationlbetween the cores being such that the armatureis repelled and the contact 27 thereof closed only when current is supplied to both the field andarmature coils, this contact being openedxupon failure of current in either of the .relay coils. Y

i The field coil 23 is connected in circuitwith the controlling solenoid l3 ofthemagnetron 'inacircuit d, both beinglenergized from the source of energy having the terminals 18and 22, the circuit consisting of the terminal 18, the conductor 30,.thecoil 23, a resistanceBl, a conductor 32, solenoid 13, and conductor16 back tothe negative terminal 22 of the source of energy. Normally all of thecircuits b, c and d are closed, the magnetron M being energized with the electron emission from the cathode impinging upon the anode and the coils of the relay contact 27 thereof.

As is'known, in the absence of any magnetic influence on the electron discharge device or magnetron M, the magnetron will be ener- R energized to close the gized and a current will flow'through the controlled circuit 0. It is also known that when the .mag'netronis subjected to the influence of amagnetic field above a-predetermined or critical -magnitude,:the electron flow between the cathode and anode will be interrupted fordeenergizing the magnetron and deenergizing the controlled circuit 0.

This phenomenon is graphically illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, this figure representing the operating characteristics of the magnetron under the influence of a mag netic field, the strength of the" magnetic field being represented by the abscissa and the strength of the current in the output or controlled circuit 0 by the ordinates, the curve EDAB depicting the characteristics of the magnetron and controlled circuit. If the strength of the magnetic fieldinfluencing the magnetron is less than the abscissae represented by CD, the electrons emitted from the cathode impinge uninterruptedly upon the anode, and the current in the controlled circuit 0 will be a maximum as'represented by the ordinate XC. If, however, the strength of the magnetic field exceeds the critical point represented as D, the electrons will be diverted and prevented from reaching the anode 12 and the current in the output or controlled circuit 0 will suddenly fall to a value as represented by the part of the curve AB. F ro-m this it will be seen that the magnetron may be controlled by controlling in a predetermined manner the magnetic influence to which it is subjected. l

For controlling the operation of the magnetron and the condition of the circuit c in accordance with my invention, I provide means as disclosed and claimed in my aforesaid copending application Ser. No, 650,803 and in Fig. 1 of the drawings herein for producing opposed magnetic fields influencing jthe magnetron, the said opposed magnetic fields having a given resultant magnitude, which magnitude is selectively changed and re-established to produce difierent conditions of operation. To thisend the solenoids 13 and l l heretofore referred to are so wound and arranged on the magnetron vessel 10 as to produce magnetic fields in opposition as depicted by the arrows in Fig. 1 associated with said solenoids, the strength ofthe opposing magnetic fields being so predeterminedl that the magnetic field produced by the solenoid 13vwhen acting alone is effective for establishing one condition of operation, and the strength of the resultant of both magnetic fields acting in opposition is effective for producing a different condition of operation. These predetermined magnitudes are graphically illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the strength of the magnetic field due to the solenoid '13 being indicated by the arrowed line M, the value of this field being greater than the critical value-0t the curve EDAB, this magnetic field being therefore'sufiicient when acting alone to close the magnetron and to deenergize the controlled circuit and the strength of the opposing magnetic field produced by the solenoid .14: is indicated by the opposing arrowed line O, the inter-reaction of the fields M and 0 being such as to produce a resultant field iiiof the circuit 0.

dicated by the arrowed line B, this resultant being of a value less than the critical value of the curve and insufiicient to disturb the energized magnetron and the energized circuit 0, the value of the current in the circuit being tihen represented by the asterisk on the curve,

lg. 3. E I 1 c As heretofore mentioned, for. producing different operations of the magnetron and the controlled circuit, the resultant magnetic field is modified and re-established, the modification of the resultant field rendering the magnetron inactive, and the re-establishing of the field effecting the re-establishing of activity of the magnetron. These results may be accomplished in a number of ways, and in theconstruction exemplified in Fig. 1, I provide means for compensating or neutralizing the effect of the opposing magnetic field when the circuit 0 is to be deenergized and means for reestablishing this efiect when re-energization of the circuit is desired, the said means comprising the spaced magnets m and m, the magnetron being brought under the influence of the magnet m for deenergizing the circuit 0 and under the influence or" the magnet m for effecting the re-energization thereof. When the apparatus shown in Fig. l is designed as a train control system, the magnetron and its associated circuits are carriedby a vehicle and the magnets m and m are arranged in spaced relation along the roadside. V I V The magnet m has its poles arranged to 0p pose the opposingmagnetic field of the solenoid 1401' to aid the main magnetic field or" the solenoid 13, which latter may be combined with an assisting vehicle carried magnet 33 having the poles NS arranged to produce a magnetic flux assisting that obtained by the solenoid 13,,the influence of the magnet m being such that the effect of the opposing magnetic field O isneutralized so that the main field M alone is active for. deenergizing the magnetron and deenergizing the'circuit 0. It will be noted that althoughvthe influence of the magnet m is but momentary in the passage of the magnetron thereover, the deenergization of the circuit 0 deenergizes the solenoid 14, andthe opposing magnetic field 1 0 obtained by this solenoid is therefore removed sothat a sustained deenergization of the circuit 0 is effected.

The magnet m is arranged with its poles reversed relatively to those of the magnet m so that the said magnet m is active to oppose the main magnetic field M of the solenoid 13, and thus when the magnetron moves'over the magnet m,lthe momentary influence of the latter is sufiic-ient to produce a resulting field less than the critical value of the magnetron, this influence producing an energizing of the magnetron and a re-energization When the circuit 0 is reenergized, it will be seen thatthe solenoid becomes effective to sustain the energization of the controlled circuit and tocause the same .to persist after the magnetron passes beyond the magnet m. 7

From the foregoing, it will therefore'be seen that under normal conditions themagwhen M is energiz'ed and the controlled circuit energized with the magnetic fields M and O in opposition, the said circuit being maintained energized by the energizat-i'on of the solenoid 14 therein, and that when the effect of the opposing magnetic field-- O is neutraliz'edby a momentary magnetic impulse,

the magnetron is deenergized and the circuit CD energized, and when the magnetron is influenced to produce an effect equivalent to the effect of the opposing magnetic field, the magnetron is reenergized and the controlled circuit 0' reenergized.

As heretofore mentioned, principal object of'my present invention centers about the provision of ail-improved magnetron designed so that the action of the same when a circuit changing governing impulse is received thereby is supplemented so asto' assist in making the circuit change e'fiectual and'to prevent a lapsing or return of the magnetronto its former or unchanged state due to any inertia of the circuits controlled by and which may react upon the magnetron. I have discovered that when the controlled circuit 0 is shunted by a substantial-induct the inductance comprising preferably a closed core coil' 34 connected in the shunt circuit s, the saidcircuit being provided with a series resistance 35 which" is used-to reduce the current consumption of the shunt path.

lVithout desiring to be" limited to any theory of operation, thesupplernental effect of the inductive shunt during the energizing or deenergizing' of the magnetron maybe explained as follows. When the magnetron receives a deenergizing' impulse, diie to the inductance of the relay'coil-in the controlled circuit and the inductance of' the solenoid 14, the current in the circuit willfall only gradually, and it may occur that before the cur:

rent has reached the desired low value for denergizing the magnetron, the magnetron may have moved past the roadsid'e'controlling elements, and as a consequence the magneor condition.- The shunt inductive path, when the magnetron isenergized, stores energy so that when such a deenergizingf impulse is received, the shunt circuit will have a fly wheel or inertia effect, thecurrent therein maintaining itself and flowing through the solenoid 14 in a direction opposite to the normalflow of current therein, with the result that the magnetization of the solenoid 14 is quickly brought to the low or zero value. Conversely when the magnetron without the shunt inductive path receives an energizing impulse, the current in the controlled circuit builds up gradually due to the inductance of the parts therein, andthe operation might prove to be such that before thecurrent' inthe solenoid 14 reaches its desired value,themagnet-ron-ma'ypass beyond thetrack magnetic influence, which'm'ay result in a lapsing of themagnetron to itsformer or deenergiz'ed condition. 'With'the shunt inductive path when the magnetron receives an energizing impulse'the'sh'unt inductance'ofi'ers a very high inductive and resistance path, and there is produced a current surge'throug-h the open-- ing solenoid 14:, which associated withthe comparatively low inductance of the armature relay coil permits a' quick and effective energizing of the relay.

Referring nowto Fig. 2 of the drawings, I show a modification of the invention in which 'theinductance of-a-relflayelement is utilized for the shuntpath. In this form of the invention the shunt path'isithe controlled circuit 0, the said shunt path including the armaturecoil 19,.the conductor 20, a supplementary inductance 36 if desired, the cond'uctor 37 v connected to the conductor 21 which in turn is connected to the anode 12. a The solenoid 14c is in a second controlled circuit 0 which includes the conductor 21 connected to the anode'12, solenoid 1 1, conductor 38, a resistance 39 connected to the positive terminal 18"ofthe source of energy, the negative terminal 22 of which is'connected to the cathode 11 by means of the conductor 16. The other parts of the magnetron M andthe relay R andv the'connecting circuits are simi- 'lar'to those heretofore described in connection with Fig; 1, and are denoted by similar reference characters. 7'

Asapplied to' the invention'shown in Fig. 2, the shunt inductivefpath provides a fly wheel or inertia effect to produce acurrent in the coil 14 opposing the current therein when a deenergizing magnetic impulse is received by the magnetron, thus quickly bringing the magnetization of the coil down to a low or zero value, and conversely upon receiving an'energizing impulse, the verylow inductance of the'ci'rcuit of the coil 14; together with the supplemental aotionof the shunt circuit thereon will producever'y rapid energizing of the magnetron. tron may lapse or return to its'former'" state The use and o eration" of my improved magnetron circuit controlling apparatus will in the main be apparent from the above detailed description thereof. It will be further apparent that the supplemental or shunt circuit renders the system independent of the particular charactertistics of the relay or other controlled device connected to the magnetron, andis made dependent only upon the inertialess characteristics of the magnetron device. It will be further seen that by the new organization between the relay and the magnetron of the present invention, the relay is also made to quickly respond to changes of indications, and the connections between the magnetron and relay are such as to produce safe operating circuits to satisfy all the safety requirements in a train control system.

While I have shown and described my invention in the preferred forms, it will be obvious that many changes and modifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, an electron discharge device having cathode and anode electrodes, a circuit connected to the electrodes and con trolled by the electron fiow therebetween, mechanism for changing the condition of said device to modify the condition of the controlled circuit including. a solenoid in said circuit for producing a magnetic field influencing the said device, and a relay having two coils one of which is arranged in circuit with said electrodes.

2. In combination, an electron discharge device having cathode and anode electrodes, a circuit connected to the electrodes and controlled by the electron flow therebetween, mechanism for changing the condition of said device to modify the condition of the controlled circuit including a solenoid in said circuit for producing a magnetic field influencing the said device, and a relay having a field coil and an armature coil, the said armature coil being arranged in circuit with said electrodes.

3. In combination, an electron discharge device having a cathode and an anode, a circuit connected to the cathode and anode and controlled by the electron flow therebetween, a solenoid producing a magnetic field active on said device, a second solenoid in said circuit for producing a magnetic field also influencing the said device, and a relay having two coils, one of which is arranged in circuit with said first solenoid and the other of which is arranged in circuit with the second solenoid.

4. In combination, an electron discharge device having a cathode and an anode, a circuit controlled thereby, a solenoid producing a magnetic field active on said device and eflective for establishing a given condition therein and in said circuit, a second solenoid arranged in said circuit for producing a magnetic field acting in opposition to the first-mentioned magnetic field for establishing a different condition in said device and in said circuit, and a relay having two coils, one arranged in circuit with said first solenoid and the other arranged in circuit with the anode and cathode of the device.

5. In combination, an electron discharge device having a cathode and an anode, a circuit controlled thereby, a solenoid producing a magnetic. field active on said device and effective for establishing a given condition therein and in said circuit, a second solenoid arranged in said circuit for producing a magnetic field acting in opposition to the first-mentioned magnetic field for establishing a different condition in said device and in said circuit, and a relay having a field coil and an armature coil, the field coil being arranged in circuit with one of said solenoids and the armature coil being arranged in circuit with the anode and cathode of the device.

6. In combination, an electron discharge device having a cathode and an anode, a circuit controlled thereby, a solenoid producing a magnetic field active on said device and effective for establishing a given condition therein and in said circuit, a second solenoid arranged in said circuit for producing a magnetic field acting in opposition to the first-mentioned magnetic field for establishing a diiferent condition in said device and in said circuit, and a relay having a field coil and an armature coil cooperating for closing a contact relay only when current is supplied to both coils, the said field coil being connected in circuit with the first solenoid and the said armature coil being connected in circuit with the anode and cathode of the device.

Signed at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, this 1st day of August, A. D. 1924.

THEODORE BODDE. 

